Verlander, Ryu are named starting pitchers
Sitting next to Justin Verlander, American League manager Alex Cora cheekily declared “we’ve got the opener” as he described his pitching plans.
Touché!
Houston’s ace has been among the players most critical of some teams’ practice of using relief pitchers as ersatz starters for an inning or two.
Verlander will be making his second all-star start on Tuesday night. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts selected Hyun-Jin Ryu from his own staff to make his first start for the National League.
A 36-year-old right-hander, Verland is 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA this year for the Houston Astros, striking out 153 in 126 2⁄3 innings.
He allowed five runs in the first inning during the 2012 All-Star Game at Kansas City, including the first-bases loaded triple in all-star history, to Pablo Sandoval.
“I kind of halfway blame it on Prince Fielder,” Verlander said. “He was at first base, and he kept whispering at me, ‘Ver, Ver, Ver, throw 100.’ OK, Prince, here we go. So that was back then.”
Verlander, then with Detroit, threw five pitches clocked at 100 mph and another at 101 during a 35pitch inning.
“I don’t quite throw 100 anymore. Maybe I’ll try tomorrow,” he said. “The goal is to get guys out. That’s it.”
Ryu, a 32-year-old left-hander from South Korea, is 10-2 with a major league-leading 1.73 ERA for the NL champion Dodgers. He is the second Asian all-star starter after Dodgers rookie Hideo Nomo of Japan in 1995.
“When I signed with the Dodgers, all I wanted was to get a chance to compete with the best in Major League Baseball,” Ryu said through a translator. “But like I said before, this is all surreal to me.”
Savoring the moment: Even though he’s not on the roster, CC Sabathia was looming large around Progressive Field.
The 38-year-old New York Yankees pitcher is playing his final season. He was invited by Major League Baseball to take part in this week’s festivities, and was set to be honored for his contributions on and off the field.
“I’m just having a good time, being a fake all-star here,” he said, laughing. “When the Yankees asked me to announce my retirement, I was like, ‘Announce what? I’m not Derek Jeter. No one will care.’ But this whole deal has been pretty cool.”
Sabathia began his big league career in Cleveland and stayed in town until being traded to Milwaukee during the 2008 season.